Perihelion
by TheDaytheSunStoodStill
Summary: They couldn't be a more unconventional couple. A collab fic with DoYouKnowWhatStarsAre. Alec X OC.
1. First Impressions

**Perihelion**

**[A/N]: This is a collab fic, written by MissMelanieWilkes and DoYouKnowWhatStarsAre?. Aurelie is an original character that was created by DoYouKnowWhatStarsAre?, as is the mysterious girl in the chapter, whose name will be revealed at a later date.**

**Disclaimer:** We do not own any recognizable characters.

**Summary**: They couldn't be a more unconventional couple.

* * *

_January 2, 1925._

"Why do _we_ have to be the ones to go to England?" the tiny blonde vampire exclaimed in a whine, as her hand sought out the zipper for her aquamarine colored dress. Of course, she knew that Aro did not approve of her wearing such attention grabbing clothes, but to hell with what he thought. "There are at least six others of us with nothing to do and I am tired of us leaving every other day!"

"Because, sister, Aro thinks we will get the job done best," Alec responded, his voice and expression serene. While he did not particularly want to to travel to England, he apparently had no intention of whining and complaining about it.

Her lips pressed themselves together into a fine line. Attention was one thing that she thrived on, and the fact that Aro had chosen her because he thought she was the best was enough to raise her spirits a little, but she was still not eager to have to leave again.

"Why not Jane? She is far more affective about getting the point across to anyone than I am."

"Don't you remember? Jane is off on mission in Germany." Her brother's voice had become slightly exasperated. He glanced around, looking for the scent they were meant to be tracking.

"Aurelie, the girl is supposed to smell of apples and sage. Do you smell it?"

The girl's hair fell to the bottom of her back as she tilted her head back and inhaled the thick spring air of the England countryside.

"Hmm..whoever it is, they smell nice."

Alec ignored this less-than-helpful answer, instead tipping his own head back once again. This time, the scent seemed to reach his nose and he turned East. "I can smell her. That must be it."

Aurelie's footsteps made tiny clipping noises on the pavement as she followed after her brother. Had he led her down into the depths of hell, she would still have followed him wherever.

"What crimes has this one committed?" she inquired in a formal tone as their journey took them through a back alley into the village.

"Oh, they created a young vampire and neglected to teach them the rules," he said, an expression of disgust crossing his face.

The younger vampire's eyes flared wide at his words, and almost instinctively, her fingers curled around the fabric of her brother's cape. Not long ago, she might have been considered too young to be a fully-fledged vampire. The laws against the immortal children had almost gone against her.

"How old is the child?"

Alec glanced back at her as her fingers gripped his cloak, eyebrows raised. "Aro believes her to be just young enough to qualify as an immortal child. A teenager."

"But I am younger than a teenager!" She exclaimed, a paranoid squeak to her voice as she stared up at him. "Why does he allow me to live?"

"Obviously because he finds you useful."

Aurelie's eyes rolled in a sardonic manner. She'd never considered her gift to be excessively useful. "Yes, my dear brother. I am so incredibly useful."

This time, Alec did not deign to respond, pulling his cloak free of her fingers, and headed purposefully toward a house on the outskirts of the little village.

"There. That is where the scent leads," he said, glancing back at his sister.

"Hmm, how exciting this little immortal seems to be," she murmured under her breath as her pace quickened. England aside, she was not thrilled to be on a mission.

Alec moved up onto the porch of the little house and rapped on the door, letting the hood of his cloak fall.

From within, through the thick curtains that were attempting to conceal the immortals, Aurelie could see a man tense at the sound of the knock, and moments later the door opened to a pinpoint crack. "Y-yes?"

Cocking his head to one side, Alec looked at the man through the crack in the door with an expression of disdain. "I wonder if you will let us come inside and speak with you."

The man's eyes seemed to grow to the size of saucers and he seemed about to shake his head, but Aurelie spoke: "It will do good if you left us in. We may decide not to punish you as severely as you deserve, but that all depends on you."

And, as she observed the man finally give in and pull open the door to allow them to enter, perhaps she was just as effective as Jane.

As she entered the house, her gaze landed on a girl who appeared to be perhaps fourteen years of age, with light brown hair. Nudging her brother, she whispered, "The child appears naive. She didn't appear at all frightened when she saw me."

"Just as naive as the last female we dealt with," he murmured back, "and what does that tell you about girls?"

In one swift movement, just before the male vampire turned around, she slapped her brother on the back of the head. "I would watch what you say about girls. You're lucky your twin isn't here or she'd have you on the ground in seconds."

Finally, their attention turned to the little coven, as the woman took their girl by the hand, murmuring, "Come along, darling. Let's wait for Papa to handle this."

Aurelie turned her head to the side, forcing her lips into a smile, and met the woman's eyes.

"I think it would be best if we all stayed within sight of one another. We are not here to punish. However, I would highly advise that you teach your child our laws or we may be seeing each other in far more unpleasant circumstances in the future."

"We do teach her the laws." The man protested with an earnest look about his face. Crossing the room, he takes a defensive stance just in front of the little girl as she sat silently on a leather chair on the opposite side of the room. "She has had a few fumbles, but she does her best, and no humans have been exposed to her."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Aurelie gave off a long, exasperated sigh. "A few "fumbles" lead to worse offenses. Perhaps we should do something to reinforce the severity of breaking the law?"

"It is true," Alec spoke, leaning back against the wall, "that your … creation has not yet broken any of our laws. But, as my sister said, a few fumbles lead to worse offenses. There have been some near misses, and in order to prevent further fumbles, we would suggest that in the future you hunt further from home, and that you hunt humans unlikely to be missed. Villagers have found the bodies of some of her kills and suspicions have arisen." He paused. "If it continues, we will - most unfortunately - be forced to punish as our master deems fit."

"I won't break any of the laws," The girl spoke up suddenly, looking up at the two vampires that had come to infiltrate the home that she had created with the two older vampires. "I will be careful from now on. I think we'll be able to extend our hunting grounds."

But the way that the girl had said the word sent off alarms within Aurelie's mind. She was not a mind reader, but she suspected that there was not an ounce of honesty to her words.

Stepping forward, she spoke in a sharp, fierce tone, "Perhaps it would be better if we just deal with you right here and now."

"You," Alec said sharply, barely a second after his sister had finished speaking. "Girl. Tell me, what are our laws?"

"Hunt inconspicuously. Don't go out into the sunlight, unless you are in a place where no humans have any chance of seeing you," The girl rattled off instantly, ticking away the laws on her fingers as she said them. "Change territory often, to lessen the chance of being exposed. Do not associate with children of the moon at all. And...Immortal Children are strictly forbidden."

Unable to find anything to fault, he fell silent for a moment before speaking up again, this time to the parents of the girl. "While she does know all the laws well, I would strongly advise you to teach your creation how to use respectful body language and tone."

"Forgive me," simpered the child, rising from the chair upon which she sat and brushing away the dust on her dress. "Things such as manners do tend to slip my mind, even given the… hmm, rank of our company. I think you will find that I have yet to do anything wrong, and I do not plan on doing anything wrong in the future."

Alec's jaw tightened at the tone she used, and he appeared ready to strangle the child and be done with it. Then, he simply turned toward the door. "Aurelie, I think it is time that we leave. We've gotten the point across, yes?"

But his sister did not seem to register his voice within her mind. In the center of the room she stood, hands balled into fists as a searing amount of pain forced it's way across the front part of her skull.

"C-Coming…" She stammered out, baffled by the amount of agony that her body was experiencing. Shuffling slightly, she followed after her brother, leaving the girl and her creators.

"Can we please go." She begged under her breath as she and her brother exited the house. By now, she had become even confused than she had been before they had arrived in England. In the few seconds that silence had taken over the house, something deceptive and dark had enveloped her head, twisting her thoughts into one's too dark to be natural for her.

"We're going," her brother mumbled in response, casting a look over his shoulder back toward the house. "What is it? What happened?"

Pressing her fingers into the center of her forehead, she gave a soft sigh. How could she tell him what had happened to her when she didn't even know herself?

"She looked at me. Our eyes met for a split second and then… it just started hurting. My head...it was like something was stabbing it." And as she spoke, something stronger than pain welled up within her: a desire. A lust, a need and a craving… _"Please…"_

Now, her voice came out frail and desperate. "Please...get..away…"

"Tell me, Aurelie, what I can do to help you. She obviously has a gift of some kind. We'll have to report it to Aro."

"You can get away from me." She instructed, swiftly backing away from the boy as quickly as she could before her overwhelming desire to kill made her turn on the only living thing around her. "Please… I don't… just get away."

Turning, Alec moved toward the treeline as she told him. "I will meet you back in Volterra and we will tell Aro about that girl."

* * *

**[A/N] Please leave a review and let us (DoYouKnowWhatStarsAre and I) know what you thought of this one! Thanks for reading. x**


	2. Mission Gone Wrong

**[A/N] We apologize for the delay in updates. This chapter is written by MissMelanieHamiltonWilkes and the next will be written by DoYouKnowWhatStarsAre?.**

**This story is NOT Alec X Aurelie.**

**Disclaimer**: We do not own any recognizable characters.

**Summary**: They couldn't be a more unconventional couple.

* * *

_January 17, 1925.  
_

**AURELIE POV**

My breath shudders in through my teeth in a long, shaking hiss that practically burns me from within as I draw her cloak tighter around her and try to force my legs to move to climb the vast staircase up to the second floor of the castle.

It's eerily quiet here today, and since my arrival home from the mission that had gone horrendously wrong, I haven't seen or spoken to anyone. _Where is everyone?_

I pause briefly before looking up at the suddenly daunting staircase, a shiver running down my spine. After a moment, I reluctantly lift a hand and grasp the handrail, making an effort to use it to pull my body up, but all the movement accomplishes is a searing pain through my abdomen that causes me to gasp softly and double over on myself. As the pain ebbs slightly, I hear footsteps on the stairs above me and raise my gaze from the ground in hopes of seeing someone that can help. A sigh of relief goes through me as I see the familiar face of my brother.

"Alec?"

Surprise flickering in the dark-haired vampire's eyes, he turns his face toward me, and then anger registers in the crimson depths. "Aurelie. You're hurt."

I feel supporting arms go around my body very carefully when Alec moves to my side, as if to ensure that it will not hurt me, and I am again relieved and surprised to find that his gentle fingers do not brush the wounds across my stomach.

"You're hurt," he says again, the anger filling his voice now. "Give me a name."

I let out a dry chuckle at his ever-so-clever observations of my physical condition, but it soon flows into a soft grunt, for any amount of movement sends another jolt of pain running through my abdomen. Damn it.

"I d-don't know..." I whimper slightly, biting on my tongue as my hands tighten on the railing.

"Claws." My shoulders tremble and my fingers loosen on the railing, unable to maintain the tight grip as my knees go out from under me. "He had...claws. Alec, I don't think I can take anymore..."

Though I am no longer looking at him, my gaze on the marble floor, I hear him exhale slowly as if in frustration, and then his arms slip under my waist and I am in his arms.

"Is he alive?" My brother asks, moving up the staircase and toward my room.

Relaxing as much as I can in this situation, I allow my eyes to close momentarily as I focus on his question and try to figure out if my assailant had been killed in the process. Had he...?

No. I remember that I had not killed him, that I had been more intent on using the remains of my strength to get away from him.

"Yes," I murmur, struggling to speak as yet another tiny shudder ripples through me. To my dismay, the movement causes my cloak to fall slightly and reveal the full extent of my injuries - five red scratches that run from the bottom of my left breast to hip bones and drip with a thick black poisonous-looking substance, deep enough to show the iron-hard bones that lie beneath my skin. Immediately, my eyes fly open and go to Alec's face in the hope that he had not noticed, but of course he has.

A sharp breath escapes him, but he only shakes his head and steps into my darkened room, setting me on the bed. His footsteps fade for the briefest of moments as he moves into my bathroom, but then he is back with a damp washcloth and leaning over me, his expression one of concern. "Do you remember a name?" he asks me in a conversational tone.

Though it is clear what his plan is, I still hiss and shrink away when the icy water mixes with the oozing poison, my fingers clenching in the fabric of my flower-patterned bed sheets. "No," I half-growl through gritted teeth. Is he stupid? My primary concern had been to get there and get back, not to find out an identity.

I had been expecting a coven of three, something that could be easily dealt with, as Aro had informed me that they did not have any powers. There hadn't been three - only the one - but then that one had made his existence known to me and everything had gone straight to hell.

A firm hand lands on my shoulder and distracts me from my thoughts as Alec's face hovers in front of mine, his expression stern. "Be still, sister, or it will only be harder. You should have learned by now that resistance makes the pain worse."

Irritation flashes through me. I know it is not his fault that I am this situation, but with the ordeal I have gone through, I am not in the mood to be incredibly compliant or even halfway pleasant. "I wasn't resisting. It was a ...reflex."

Rather than responding and possibly starting a fight, Alec disappears into the bathroom to wet the cloth again and then returns with it dripping wet. Glancing down at myself, I can see that most of the poison is gone from my skin, so perhaps this round will not be as bad. Hopefully, this will satisfy him.

Alec eases the cloth across my skin again, but this time, it doesn't burn quite as badly as it had before. After a few seconds of this, the poison is gone for the most part, and with it, the pain.

"How does that feel? Any better?"

Gingerly, I push myself up to a point where I can see the cuts better. Now that the poison has been removed from my skin, I can see the gashes, and they are even more clear than they had been before. I cringe internally, only praying that they won't leave scars, but I know that the chances are they probably will.

"Yes," I murmur, not allowing my voice to give away any of my distress as I shrug off my cloak and lay it across the headboard. "I think it'll be alright now. It is still sore, but I am in no immediate danger and it will heal eventually."

His gaze moves over the torn edges of my dress and then he looks up at me. "If you'd like, I can go into the city and find you another dress. It should be easy enough to find someone close to your size- "

"No." I cut him off, laying back against my pillows and hugging one of them to my chest. If only I could sleep. "I have about seventy others. One of those will do just fine."

Silent for the moment, he removes a pink dress from the wardrobe and tosses it over to me on the bed. Carefully, I pull my ruined outfit over my head and then ease myself into the new dress, trying to move as little as possible.

"I wish that there was something more I could do for you," Alec says after another beat of silence, chewing on his lip. "All that I can do is go to Nova Scotia and eliminate your attacker."

I grumble, hugging the pillow against my chest again and resting my chin on top of it. "I hate Canada. Damn moose, damn igloos, damn snow, and damn assholes who think its perfectly acceptable to violate women."

Alec seems speechless for a moment, and then he ignores my words, moving in the direction of the door. "Could you give me a description of your assailant, sister?"

At the moment, the last thing I want is to continue thinking of the man, but of course Alec will not rest until he has avenged me, just as he would for Jane. "He was…. tall. Slender, with black hair and claws on his hand."

"Are there any distinguishing features besides the claws?" he presses on. "How about his scent?"

Once again, annoyance courses through me. Aren't the claws obvious enough that he shouldn't need anything else to go on? "I don't know! I closed my eyes, but of course he was a vampire, what else would he be? I could have gotten away from any other creature, especially a human. The poison smells foul, so find the scent like that and it should lead you to him."

"I am trying to be certain, because given the _claws_ you describe, he could be anything," Alec snaps in response. "Do not snap at me."

"I understand," I sigh, closing my eyes, but then I am forced to open them again as images from the attack appear behind my closed lids. There is no escape from it. "Not something that I particularly want to talk about or think of at this moment in time. So... just give me a little while, and I'll tell you anything that you need to know."

Once again, there is no response, and then his footsteps sound again as he moves out into the hallway and the door clicks shut behind him.

Slowly, trying to ignore the slight guilt that I feel, I rise to my feet. I have no reason to feel guilty. I have snapped at Alec enough that it doesn't bother him in the slightest anymore, so there is no need for it.

Moving over to the full-length mirror that sits next to my wardrobe, I stare at my reflection and scoff at it. While I had not been a virgin before the attack, by no means innocent, the disgust that I now feel toward myself is easily shown in the mirror.

In one swift movement, my fist slams into the glass and the mirror shatters into pieces, leaving me staring at the broken glass and burning with barely suppressed fury.

Disgusting.


	3. Rooftops

**[A/N] This chapter was written by DoYouKnowWhatStarsAre. **

**Saoirse is the girl from Chapter 1. **

**Disclaimer: **We do not own any recognizable characters. However, Saoirse Maddox and Aurelie Deveraux are the creations of DoYouKnowWhatStarsAre.

**Summary: **They couldn't be a more unconventional couple.

* * *

The sun blazes high in the sky; there is not a cloud, nor a current of wind to disrupt it's brilliant rays from beating harshly upon the rooftop that I sat upon.

How glorious it was- both the view of the enticingly inviting city, and the warmth upon my skin. Twisting my hand back and forth, I watch my skin shatter before my eyes, and my cells glisten in the light that is mostly forbidden to our kind. So long as no human sees me up here, I will not have to suffer any consequences.

I pull off the cloak that had been shoved into my embrace upon arrival. For a moment, I consider removing the gown that had been gifted to me as well, but I decide against it. Now was not the time to be found in an indecent state of dress.

Leaning back on my elbows, I crane my neck backwards and allow every inch of exposed skin to drink in the sunshine. If I could get a tan, I would very much love to have one. Pale skin was charming and ethereally beautiful, but to have a bit of warmth to my skin would certainly put a bit more life into me.

A gust of wind rips through the air, and though it is harsh enough to send chills up and down the spine of a human, it merely feels like a tickle against my skin, as though someone has breathed a hushed whisper against my décolleté.

How wonderful that would be. It is tragic that I have no one who would be willing to do so. My gift would allow me to force anyone into acting exactly as I pleased, but it is my preference to not implement my power unless it is absolutely necessary.

A voice shatters the silence, but I am grateful to the speaker. He seems to be sensible enough to not shout everything at the top of his lungs. His voice reminds me of chocolate and honey- smooth, subtle. He is directly behind me, and even with the increased sense of sound that all vampires have, I have to strain my ears a little to catch every word that he says.

"I didn't peg you as the sort of person to enjoy a decent view." He says, a cocky tone to his voice as he drops down beside me, his gaze in the same direction as mine- to the lighted skyscrapers and office buildings that dotted the world below.

Humans may be utterly foolish when it comes to their inability to notice anything around them, but there are a select view who were to be admired. Whoever had designed most of the structures in Volterra was one of these commendable humans.

I glance over at him, and instantly I almost feel sick at my stomach. Dizzy, as though I could throw up the contents of my stomach, I push myself up and tuck my legs behind me before my conveniently cut dress can allow him to get a good look up my skirt.

Not that he would try, but it would not be hard for him to succeed if he did.

He wears a pale blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and khaki pants. It's the kind of outfit that one might see vacationers don whenever they plan to go out on their million dollar yacht. I would expect nothing less from him, or from anyone in this place. Already, they have all proven their fondness for the finer things in life.

"There is little you know about me," I blurt out finally.

I hadn't realized that I had not answered yet, and I find myself fiddling with my hair as I speak to him, anything to keep my hands and eyes from staring so blatantly.

"Did your sister get injured on the mission she was sent on last week?"

I ask a moment later, recalling the ruckus that I'd heard in the hallway earlier in the week. I'd ask him anything that could keep the conversation moving, to keep him here. I did not know why, but in his presence, the darkness that clouded all of my thoughts seemed to be lifted in his presence.

My thoughts were simpler, innocent. I was drawn back in time, to a place and world where nothing went wrong; the world of a very small child.

However, there was one subject that brought back the shadows and hurled me into an abyss of reality: his sister. If I kept up my dislike for her, surely he would not enjoy my company so much. I would have to make amends…perhaps I could help her to recover from the trauma of her attack.

I might not be an immediate comfort to her, but the effort would have to count. He would have to appreciate that I at least tried to make amends with her.

He presses his lips together, unsure of how to respond to my question.

"She'll be okay." He says stiffly after a drawn out silence. Soft, his tone is constricted, like there is something in his throat that doesn't permit him to speak. "She's distraught, but who wouldn't be. I think given a bit of time to… I don't know… heal from the shock it will be easier. But… gah, I don't know. Girls are… difficult. She acts as though she wants attention, but when I try to speak with her about it, she just closes in on herself and we're either right back where we started or two steps back."

I couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of pity for the girl. Insufferable as she was, no one deserved to experience what she had. Yes, this is more of a girl issue to deal with. Later on, I'll go down to her room and see if I can't calm her down a bit.

"Maybe she thinks she wants to talk about her ordeal, but when she tries to open up to anyone about it, the memory of the event frightens her," I suggest, but all of my words are mere rationalizations; assumptions of what I would feel and do if something similar had happened to me.

For a moment, I wonder if Julian would do the same for me that Alec did for her.

He gives a dry, humorless chuckle, "I came to her room in the morning- she used to have this incredible, hand-crafted gilded mirror that sat in the corner- and she sat in the glass. There was a point where all of the breakage had spread from, like she had put her fist through it."

I kept quiet, for what could I say to that.

Aurelie was pretty, but it was also evident by her actions that she was vain. Her face was lovely as ever, but according to the whispers in the halls, her stomach and torso had been badly disfigured.

"I-I-I… what if I come in there one day, and it's not just a broken mirror? What if I find something worse?"

"I think both of you underestimate her strength," I say, but my voice is barely audible. It's not a statement that I wish to get a response to, but rather a mere vocalization of my inner thoughts.

He twists around a bit, and I flinch at the sorrow in his expression, but it changes quickly into one of utter bewilderment. Had I spoken another language and not noticed? I did have a tendency to speak in Welsh whenever I felt flustered.

"You're a bag of tricks, Saoirse Maddox," He says, and I find myself grinning. Never have those words been used to describe me, "When we met the first time, you….you made my sister try and attack me, and then you come here and it's like you're a completely different person."

"Would you expect to meet the same tiger when he is backed into a corner and has guns pointed at his head, as you would when that same tiger is in his cave with his cubs and mate?" I inquired, "I felt like the first tiger before. I turn into a goddamn bitch whenever I feel threatened, but I guess we all do."

"Don't say that," He chastises. At first, I think he means don't say that we all feel threatened, but then I notice the beads of a rosary that hangs under the fabric of his shirt.

A thousand or more years old, and he still believes in God? A feeling of dread envelopes my stomach and I feel a wave of sickness wash over me. If there was a God, I would be praying that he was not like most religious people.

"Sorry," I look away jerkily, as though the sight of the religious beads had burned my eyes. "I didn't mean to…offend you or anything."

"I take it you don't believe?" He asks. Such a question I would have expected to be asked in an accusatory way, but it isn't. I find it easy as breathing to answer him honestly.

"I don't see much of a point in believing in anything, anymore. Some of my prayers would have been answered by now if there was a God out there. Maybe some of the Bible is true, but… it's just not…logical…"

"What of the accounts of Heaven that have been made?" He counters, leaning back on his palms in the same way I had been. He turns towards me. "There have been countless stories of children who have died- been legally dead- and have encountered Heaven as it is described in the Bible. What do you make of those?"

I shrug. Few of those stories had reached my ears, but there were many other explanations to the phenomena. "Insanity, perhaps, or they could be lying through their teeth. Anyone could read the Bible and know what Heaven is supposed to be like. So, yeah, insanity, or lying or-"

"Telling the truth?" He smirks. "You do realize that you just described one of the most significant arguments in the Bible, don't you? Jesus Christ was either a complete madman, or a liar, or he was telling the truth. They ruled out that he wasn't mad or lying, so it was evident that he was telling the truth."

Without a word, he rises to his feet before I can come up with a clever response, and leaves me in a state of shock on the rooftop.

* * *

The next week passes in a slower, but similar manner. As often as I could, I stole away to the roof. More often than not, he would come up there to sit with me, and we'd talk of a variety of subjects.

I'd tease him in Welsh; he'd roll his eyes and tell me that the language sounded like gibberish, but then he'd try and repeat my words.

He didn't know it, but he pronounced them very well.

Our debate on the existence of God continued, but we never got into a fierce disagreement. He would point out evidence, and I would counter with points that could disprove his. Nevertheless, the both of us persisted, and we were never able to come to a conclusion, or to a solid agreement.

The view changed drastically depending on the time of day it was.

At dusk, the rose and pink tints in the sky dyed the streets a dewy color and turned the world into a simple land that reminded me more of an enchanted forest than a city. It was this time of day that was my favorite, and if it had rained before, the streets were soaked in a silver coating that gleamed in the dim sunlight.

On a Thursday, evening, once my every day duties were done and the weekly feeding was over with, I once again steal up to the roof, this time choosing a place a little ways away from where I normally sit so that my view could be altered a little.

He is there already, on the edge with his gaze fixed on a clock tower in the distance.

Dropping down next to him, I rest a hand on his shoulder. Instantly, he shrugs it away.

"I went to her room today," He says tightly, "She hasn't come out...not for anything. Not to feed, or...or to speak with me or Aro or anyone. I thought I'd see if she needed anything from me. You know her gift, right? She can make things, out of nothing."

I give a quick nod; Aro had given me an overview of everyone's gifts upon my arrival.

"Sometimes, she can't control it. She'll just….create whatever best shows how she feels. Wh-when I went there….t-there were spikes. Everywhere. Huge, black spikes. She was curled up in the far corner, and she warned me not to touch them. I don't think she could even move- they were so close to her. Like daggers."

I stare in silence, for my tongue feels like lead and nothing worthy of saying comes to mind. He leans forward with a heavy groan, and buries his head in his arms.

"She'll be alright," I murmur, but my voice shakes and I hardly sound convincing. I wanted her to be fine, because that meant that he would be alright as well.

He casts a skeptical glance at me, "You so sure of that? You seem to know a lot of things."

I beam. I'll take that as a compliment.

"Don't judge a girl on how she looks." I smirk, tapping him on the nose. If my playfulness will take his mind off of his sister and stop him from wallowing in despair, then I'll be as playful as a damn puppy.

Scrunching his face up, he swats my hand away, but then he catches it before I can draw it back.

"What sort of things do you know?" He questions, looking up at me as I raise up on my knees.

Teasingly, I say the first thing that comes to my mind, though I do not expect for my wish to be granted.

"I know you want to kiss me."

And he does.

* * *

**[A/N] Well, that was fun.**

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	4. Confessions

**[A/N] This chapter is written by MissMelanieHamiltonWilkes and the next will be written by DoYouKnowWhatStarsAre?**

**Disclaimer**: We do not own any recognizable characters.

**Summary**: They couldn't be a more unconventional couple.

* * *

_February 3, 1925. _

**ALEC POV  
**

I don't have time to make it up to the roof today. I hope that Saoirse Maddox won't mind.

Instead, I am heading up the stairs to the hallway where the guard have our rooms, toward my sister's room. As far as I know, she hasn't set foot outside the door since I brought her up here after returning from her mission.

When I reach her room, I know I am right. Her scent in the hallway is stale, at least several days old, and intermingled with my own, most likely a result of my carrying her in.

I swallow hard, my hand rising to touch the rosary beads at my throat. Speaking with Aurelie is not something I enjoy as of lately - she has become harsh, bitter, and unwelcoming, making this an unpleasant task. But if there is anything I can do to help, surely it must be done.

Not for the first time, I wish that Jane or even Saoirse could accompany me here. This is probably something a female could handle better than me. But Jane has not yet arrived home from some mission Aro sent her on several weeks ago, and Aurelie loathes Saoirse. No, it wouldn't be a good idea.

Finally, I exhale slowly and then release my beads to knock on the door. It is a moment or two before a response comes, but I am relieved to find that Aurelie's voice isn't particularly hostile. Not today, at least.

"Alec, please go away."

Its the same thing that she has said to me every time I come to see her and I always give the same response - I step into her room and shut the door behind me, careful not to touch the spikes that hang suspended in the air and jut from the floor.

She sighs, and I turn to her. As she has been for the past few days, she is curled up on the floor beneath the window, pressed up against the wall. A hard lump rises in my throat but I swallow it down.

"Don't touch those," she instructs, exactly as she had the last time I had been here. Almost as if she is on auto-pilot. "They will cut even our kind."

This time, I ignore her, although I do nudge all of the spikes away from me carefully as I make my way over to her. I am not sure how they could manage to cut us, when they are only illusions, but I don't want to risk it.

"Please." I kneel next to her, keeping a few feet between the two of us. The last thing I need is for her to feel threatened and attack me. "Aurelie, please." Helplessness and sorrow color my voice as I speak. "What can I do to help you?"

Her lips flick up into an empty smile and she turns her head to face me. Her tone, when she responds to me, is entirely unconvincing.

"Nothing to be said, my dear, nothing to be done. Everything is just fine."

Aurelie's eyes focus on a point just above my shoulder and then the spikes begin to disappear. The strain in her expression is clear, but I choose to take it as a good sign (whether it is a good sign or not) that she is even able to do so. Sometimes, when she feels a certain way, there is nothing even she can do to rid herself of her illusions.

There is a whole room in the castle filled with her beautiful illusions, given to her by Aro when we first discovered her power. She can't get rid of them.

But I shake my head. Now isn't the time to think of the illusions in that room. Now is the time to think of her mental and emotional health.

"Everything is not fine," I say, something of a savage tone to my voice. Why does she lie to me?

Rather than answering me, Aurelie rises and the last of the spikes vanish. She turns to look outside and her hands curl around the edge of the windowsill, leaving tiny imprints in the shape of her fingers.

"I thought him handsome," she says abruptly, her grip tightening.

It takes me a moment to even understand what she is talking about, and then something clicks. She is ready to talk about the assault. Finally, I might be getting some of the information I need.

I open my mouth to speak, but she continues on.

"He was kind...at first. I thought myself to be lucky for a moment - he was sweet, and there was music. He acted as if he was fond of me. But now - Now, when I close my eyes, he is there again, playing music into my head."

Disgust, black and ugly, rises up in my chest at the image her words paint. How could anyone have been so foolish? Handsome! Kind! Sweet!

"What do you mean, he was kind?" I demand of her. My voice is sharper than intended. I don't care. "I thought you were there to destroy him, Aure!"

"I was told of three vampires when I went to Nova Scotia," she whispers, not turning to look at me as she does. "He was a fourth. A trump card, you might say. I did not know he was part of what I was meant to destroy until it was too late."

"Aurelie -"

Once again, I am interrupted before I can speak.

"It's been a week since I hunted. Maybe more."

As old as we are, a week isn't really too long. Not enough by any means to make us lose our control, but it is enough for the burn in her throat to be screaming.

"Perhaps you should go tonight," I say. "I can accompany you, if you wish -?"

The offer hangs suspended in the air for a fraction of a second and then she is shaking her head.

"No. I will just wait until Heidi returns with the next group of tourists. After all, it shouldn't be more than another day." And then she turns to me, a haughty sort of smirk appearing on her angelic features.

"You have grown fond of her," she states, a smug tone to her voice. "Have you not?"

My eyes widen briefly and I plaster an oblivious look on my face. How does she...

"Grown fond of who?"

"Oh, and now look who is playing dumb!" She laughs merrily. This is certainly a transformation from the Aurelie of five minutes ago, and even if it is fake, it is still quite welcome. "Saoirse, of course."

"I don't -"

"Oh, I am not saying that you are in love with her," she hastens to reassure me, but then the smugness is back. "But even you cannot deny that you dislike her a little less than you did when we first met. Rumors spread. I know that you spend almost every evening up on the roof with her."

At least she hasn't mentioned the kiss. Maybe she is unaware of it.

"Personally," she continues, "I still think she is an awful bitch, but to each his own."

"You are a bitch too, Aurelie," I retort. Normally, that isn't a word I would say, but even saints make a mistake even now and then. I can afford to make more than most, damned as I already am.

She snorts. "Everyone thinks I am a bitch. Except when Jane is present - then I fall into the shadows of her superiority. Anyway, I'm used to it. I won't resent you liking this Saoirse as long as she doesn't harm anyone present in the castle." She moves back toward her bed. "I am going to lie down now. Go away." Her words aren't hostile as they had been before, but light and teasing. Still, I can't help but feel that this is all a facade to ease my worries.

"I don't think she has anything against anyone besides you, honestly." I flash a quick and teasing smile her way as I rise from the carpet and move toward her door. Perhaps Saoirse will still be on the roof waiting for me.

"I thought that you would not be coming today," she says, glancing over at me.

"I stopped by my sister's room to check up on her."

"And is she doing any better?"

Her question causes me to pause for a moment before answering. Is she? "I am not sure. She was able to smile and laugh, to tease me, but I could not rid myself of the feeling that it was all a facade." I look towards her and then back out at the setting sun, choosing to focus on that to rid myself of the hard lump in my throat. I am not going to break into pieces in front of her. "She was rational enough to comment that I like you."

"Was your sister clever enough to comment on the fact that I like you as well?"

"No, she was not, but I must say I am glad that you do."

"I should tell you... I'm not very good at this. It's been over four-hundred years since I've genuinely cared for someone." She bites down on her lower lip and looks up through her lashes at me.

"Then I suppose we are in the same boat." At her questioning look, I continue speaking. "I've never cared for someone this way. The only time I ever came close was when Aurelie joined us, and nothing ever happened there, maybe because I never made it known."

She rises to her feet, brushing the dirt from the rooftop off the back of her dress. "Wait." Her brow furrows. "Correct this if I'm misunderstanding, but are you saying that you once liked Aurelie in different-than-a-sister-way? I mean, I know she isn't biological, but... I guess I always thought that it would be hard for her to be considered anything other than a sister."

I am starting to regret mentioning it, but its too late now. It doesn't matter. I am sure that Saoirse won't mention it to Aurelie. "The first few weeks, I did. I mean, I hadn't known her before, so the family bond wasn't there."

"She was the first girl close to our age to come into your life that wasn't actually related to you. It's not a shock that you took some sort of interest in her. Some people are just meant to fit into our lives in different ways, I suppose." She grins now. "There was once a boy in the village who I would go to see every morning, I'd even take the long way if I had to back home. My parents never spoke of him, and I'd never met him formally before, so I didn't think anything of it. Come to find out, though, that he was about my second or third cousin. The infatuation disappeared faster than you can imagine when I learned of that."

I tilt my head to the side, wondering just when she was human. "It wasn't so terribly uncommon to marry a cousin when I was human, you know. What year?"

She shrugs, leaning back on her palms and turning slightly toward me. "Yes, I know it wasn't particularly uncommon, but still... I just wasn't fond of the idea of that. Besides, that was mostly to keep important family lines pure, and my family would have jumped at the opportunity to marry someone wealthy outside of the family rather than marry off to cousins." She tips her head back, considering. "Oh. I think 1500s."

"My parents were not so opposed to it. In fact, there was a cousin, Alice, who they would've gladly married me off to had I not been condemned when I was thirteen."

"My father had the sort of 'holier than thou' attitude about him. He was a social climber, would've done anything to make sure his children married well. Of course, then my brother had to go and get himself accused of witchcraft and that all went to Hell." Her lips flick up into a smirk now and she exhales sharply.

This is not a subject I particularly want to get into, nor is it one that I enjoy in the slightest. I want to interrupt, but I can't think of a way to end the conversation without being rude.

"My father headed the hunts, you see. The moment someone was even accused of such an act, his attitude towards them totally changed."

"My own father," I say reluctantly, "did not head the hunts, but he was very active. He was the one that decided Jane and I should be accused of witchcraft."

Saoirse's eyes momentarily grow wider and she seems to read something in my expression, because the conversation is abruptly over. She stretches her arms over her head in a cat-like manner.

"Perhaps we should tell Aurelie about all of ...this."

I rise to my feet as well, taking a step toward the doorway. "We should. I should hate for her to find out from someone else."

"Is she very prone to jealousy?" she asks, a bit of a malicious tone to her voice. "When my brother brought a girl home, I threw a fit. I didn't appreciate being ignored."

"I don't know." I feel her fingers slip in between my own and I squeeze them lightly, edging toward the door again. "You're the first girl I've ever shown any interest in. But no, I don't think she will mind."

I continue moving toward the door and Saoirse follows me. "Should we tell her today?"

"Yes. Word gets around the castle fast. I'm surprised she doesn't know about it yet." I glance down at our joined hands, a bit of a smirk coming to appear on my lips. "A scandal."

"Oh, yes, because kissing someone is oh-so-scandalous." Saoirse rolls her eyes, and suddenly her hand is gone from mind as she dashes down the vast staircase. "I'll meet up with you later!"

And that is how I find myself in front of Aurelie's doorway, alone. I haven't even raised my hand to knock when I hear a loud groan from within.

"What do you want now?" she exclaims.

"I have something to tell you." Without waiting for an invitation, I push open the door. She is still lying on the bed, but now she is glaring at me. "Don't whine and bitch."

"I will whine and bitch as I so choose!" She huffs, dropping the pillow and sitting up. "Out with it, and quickly."

I blurt it out abruptly, and far too fast for anyone but a vampire to understand.

"SaoirseandIareinarelationshipnow and wekissedontheroof."

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	5. Believe Me or Don't

**[A/N] This chapter is written by DoYouKnowWhatStarsAre and the next will be written by MissMelanieHamiltonWilkes.  
**

**Disclaimer**: We do not own any recognizable characters.

**Summary**: They couldn't be a more unconventional couple.

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**SAOIRSE'S POV**

_February 10th, 1925._

It has been a week since I have seen him, and the hours are laboriously long. They do not run together, as seems to be the case when one is enjoying themselves. Instead, it feels as if there is an hour in between the hours. One day feels like two, and a week has been nearly as long as a year.

How could anyone function in this state? I ask myself several times a day as I pass sluggishly through my day-to-day tasks. The fire in my chest is agonizing, and I wonder if he, wherever he is, has felt it too.

Often I have heard stories from other mates about how the first few weeks after two individuals have been bonded, it is nearly impossible for them to be away from one another. The strain on the bond causes a tremendous pain within them.

I won't complain about it, though. I'll simply state that it exists, but I believe that I know where he has gone to, and I won't hold it against him when he returns.

Aro plans to have me perform a show of my power before his brothers, who have yet to be convinced that I would be of any use to them. Had I not impressed Aro and caught Alec's interest, I might be dead right now.

Early one morning, Aro bids me to come to him. With a shuffling of my feet, I skitter down the hallway behind the guard who had come to fetch me. He is tall, and his shoulders are broad. In his eyes, there is a fierce look. Instantly, it is clear what his occupation is here: a fighter. The gleam to his eyes tells me that he can do more than just fight physically.

"What's he so impressed with you about?" He asks in a gruff voice. His eyes trail over me, and then he gives a tiny scoff, hardly impressed. "You're just another little girl."

I neglect to answer his questions, for the words that I could find would not suffice to explain the nature of my gift. I would have to show him.

"Stay for a bit when you take me to Aro and you might just see if for yourself." I say lightly, pushing past him as we reach the double doors to the throne room. I am not in need of an escort, and I insist on making this a clear point to Aro.

Caius paces back and forth in front of the dais of thrones, a scowl present on his face. From the door, I can see that his eyes are a terribly dark shade of black, and his lips mutter something about Heidi taking too long with the feeding.

My throat burns at the mere thought of blood; it suddenly seems ages since I had last fed. If fortune favors me, this will not take too long and Heidi will be well on her way here with our food.

Head bowed against his fist, Marcus regards me with a remarkable amount of indifference. He could have just as easily been looking at a chipped clay pot.

As I step into the room, Aro slips off of his chair and soars gracefully across the room to meet me.

"Dear, dear Saoirse," he trills, and both of his hands clasp around mine. The attention of my new master helps to relieve the pain in my chest, if only slightly, and I beam up at him. Then, to my dismay, he turns to the man and claps him affectionately on the shoulder, "Felix, my dear boy, thank you for bringing her here! You may return to your duties for now."

"Actually, sir, I asked Felix if he would like to be shown my gift as well. It could be a great deal more efficient if the whole of the guard sees it before the outside world. That way, they might come to know what to expect."

Aro claps his hands together, and hurriedly beckons to Felix before he can head out of the door.

"If it shall not take too long… I see no issue with having another member of our audience."

He turns back to his throne and lowers himself into it. Once positioned, he gestures to me.

"Whenever you are ready, my dear,"

I give a curt nod to all that were there to watch, quickly adopting a more professional sort of tone.

"I have the ability to implant seeds of control into someone's mind. These are not outright commands, for I do not directly control the individual. Rather, they are a careful collection of implanted thoughts, emotions, images, memories and sensations. I can control how long the seed takes to go into effect, and I can control when it is removed."

Intent on giving an example, I motion to Felix, and the second he looks down at me, I lock our gaze so that my gift has a chance of going into effect.

"Wh-what…" He exclaims, and suddenly he starts to swat violently at his own skin. Nails digging into the flesh, he sleeves long scratch marks on his granite. Aro moves to his feet, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide.

"What are you doing to him?" He breathes out.

"He is under the impression that spiders have somehow gotten beneath his skin," I say with a shrug. "Due to a nice collection of paranoia, a false memory, an implanted fear of spiders, and a crawling sensation on his skin."

"You claim that you can cause anyone to act as you like?" Caius suddenly demands, "How are we to believe that you are not simply using your gift to charm Alec into speaking on your behalf? Aro, the girl could be using her gift on all of us. It is not safe with her around- for all we know, she could be attempting to usurp control of the Volturi from your very self!"

"Hmm…." Aro murmurs thoughtfully, lacing his fingers together as he peers down at me. Gradually, I allow the seed in Felix's mind to dissolve, and he breathes out a long sigh of relief. "This is all a very real concern for you to have, Brother. I must admit, it is rather peculiar that we have only just now learned of your existence, and of your power. How long ago were you born, my dear?"

"Around the middle of the fifteen-hundreds," I answer with a vague wave of the hand. Dates had been poorly documented back then, but from what I recall of the clothing and things of that nature, they matched what history books told to be popular during that time.

A smile flicks up across his face, but it sends chills down my spine. It's not so much a smile, as it is a smirk.

"Ah, yes. Do you recall the name of your creator?"

I shake my head. He had been my brother's friend (a lying, conniving friend).

Unimpressed by my lack of vocalization, Caius snarls from his chair.

"Speak when spoken to, girl! Otherwise, you'll not speak at all."

"No. I don't know what his name was or is, nor do I have any idea of whether or not he is still alive."

Lacing his fingers together, Aro started at me with such intensity that surely he would be able to see straight through me and into my very core. His gaze was piercing, and unnerving. If I tried to spin any lies, he would undoubtedly know them the moment that they came out of my mouth.

I had absolutely no urge to be in this room anymore, not while they scrutinized every aspect of my being.

"Might I go now, sirs?" I ask, and the words come out short and clipped. It is almost a growl, but there is not the same level of hostility in the reverberations.

Still, Caius stares down at me, shock warring with amusement. Already, I had gone against an order that had been given to me. "I was bade to come here in order to give a display of my powers-" I gesture to Felix. He stands against the wall furthest from me. When my hand points to him, he gives a faint snarl of warning. "And you have gotten what you asked for. I see no reason that I need to be here any longer."

"I do suppose we can discuss some of the issues without you…"Aro murmured. For a moment longer, he watches me, and then he pivots around and settles himself up on the highest throne that sits in the center of the room. "Do keep to the castle, though. If I find that you have left without permission, I will not hesitate to send an execution party after you for disobedience."

I did not particularly care what the conditions were, so long as I did not have to remain in the same room with them for any longer.

No sooner had the door slammed behind me, did they start again on the subject of my power. From what I gathered until I was too far out of range to hear, Aro was set on having some other member of the guard use her gift to "bind" me to them. Whatever the hell that went.

The majority of the rest of my day was spent wandering aimlessly about the castle. I poked into every room that opened for me, perused and endless amount of books in the library. The halls were littered here and there with other members of the guard, but only one or two of them spoke to me. I wagered that there were likely a great deal more, but either they were on missions or in their rooms.

One man, in particular, stopped me on my way to the room that I had been given to stay in.

"Saoirse, aren't you?" He asks, as though my name had not been circling the castle and vampire's did not have flawless recall. The sound of his voice was vaguely familiar to me, but I could not put a name to the face.

"And you are?" I lean up against the wall and tilt my head back so that I can meet his eyes. He is rather tall, and lean, but his limbs are not extensively long, so there is not a sense of lankiness to him.

He grins in a cocky manner. Perhaps it is I who should have known his name. He acts as though he's rather infamous.

"Demetri," He greets, and with a swooping motion, he takes my hand and places a kiss on top of it. Instantly, I snatch it away. To have someone else kiss my hand other than Alec made me feel like a wretched little whore- and we were not officially a mate pair yet.

He grins cheekily, unfazed by my rejection. "You must be the one that Alec can't keep his mouth shut about."

At this, I smile widely, in spite of the foul mood that Aro had put me in. Was I really a topic of his conversations? From the way that he spoke when we sat on the roof together, I was sure that he would want to keep our relationship private.

Then again, it could be that he merely spoke of me as though I were a friend. He could have said that I was the most awful creature in existence. It was more his nature to keep something as intimate as a relationship private.

Curiosity overwhelming me, I ask with controlled eagerness, "What does he say about me?"

"Nothing much about you. He just asks where you are, if we've seen you, how you're doing.

Presently, I'm here because he asked me to tell you that he went to Nova Scotia to deal with an issue. He plans to be back by late tomorrow or early morning the day after that."

My chest clenches spastically. The time was so short, and yet it felt impossibly long. A week without him had been painful enough; could I really find some way to entertain myself for another few days?

I release a shaky breath, but I don't allow my distress to show in my expression.

"Thank you," I say, my words clipped, "When he returns, will you please tell him to find me immediately?"

He gives a short nod of compliance, and we part ways. Down the spiral staircase, he moves in the same direction that I'd come from, while I take the first left down the hall.

Determined to make his sister better before he returned, I stop outside of her bedroom door.

From beneath the door, the dry, stale scent of old blood and vampire seeps out, and I wrinkle my nose. Amazing how something that is usually so pleasant can become so foul over time.

"Aurelie," I call sharply through the door. From within, she gives an audible gasp. "You need to come out. It's fine that you're upset, but there is not a chance in Hell that you'll get better if all you do is keep yourself locked in your room all day."

When no response comes, I press on, but I don't yet enter the room.

"Alec is terrified for you… and Demetri has just told me that he's gone off to Nova Scotia. He's gone to deal with the man who attacked you. You could at least show an ounce of gratefulness."

She shrieks in aggravation, and with a loud thunk, she wrenches the door open with such force that it leaves a dent on the wall.

"Do you think I don't know that?!" She demands. Her eyes are pitch black, and she trembles every time she walks.

Surely, she wants to go outside, and to feed. What would possibly stop her from that? Had I gone without a hunt for so long, I would have jumped at the first opportunity to lap up blood from the first neck I laid eyes on. Silently, she steps to the side and allows me to follow her inside.

The room is no longer filled with the spikes that he had once described to me. In fact, there is nothing magnificent about it at all. It's a room, and that's all. Her bed is perfectly made and every little decoration has been put into its proper place. In the trashcan, there is a small bag of blood, but from the scent of it, it had to be more than six weeks old.

"I know I'm hurting him," She draws her knees up to her chest as she sits on the edge of the bed, "I just… I can't. Whenever I leave or try to function outside of my room, I just keep… seeing him.

Everywhere I look. Right here is the only place that I feel truly safe."

I keep my distance for the time being, but it is mostly to not make her feel threatened by my presence. Gently, I close the door behind me and lean up against it, listening to her with a touch of weariness.

"He's gone to Nova Scotia, right now, to deal with him. Even if these….flashbacks continue, you have to remember that a dead man can't hurt you."

"Yes, yes, I realize that!" I cringe at the shrill scream she gives. I had not been through the same ordeal that she had, and I pitied the girl for her tragedies and her pain, but there was no benefit to her to just sit in her room all day, curled up into a ball. "But I can't… I want to. I want to go out and see everyone, but I can't! My body won't function properly. It's as if everything shuts down and I can't think properly, or breathe and sometimes my vision goes cloudy and it's all just…dark. I hate it. You have no idea."

"Aurelie," I murmur, opting to use a softer, approachable tone. A little tentatively, I take a step closer to her. It's not a well disguised fact that I'm one of her least favorite people. She could take my closeness as a sign of a potential attack, and then turn on me. "You have a guard of a hundred vampires around you. I know that they're assigned to protect the masters, primarily, but I don't think they'd just stand by and let someone come and attack you."

She just shakes her head, and curls her legs closer to her chest. Though they are slightly muffled as she speaks into her legs, she gives whimpers of protestation. As I place my hand on her shoulder, her body tenses automatically.

"You can't let the man who did this to destroy you so completely. You have to fight back. Otherwise, you're just letting him win."

"But what am I supposed to do?" She asks, looking up at me finally, her chin perched on the tops of her knees, tears rimming the edge of her eyes. No matter how often she blinked, they failed to fall down her cheeks.

While most tears would have irritated me, I knew that hers did not come from any sort of petulant fury that usually overtakes children whenever they do get what they want, but rather from utter, crippling despair. There are some emotions, I have learned, that are so overwhelmingly debilitating, that tears are the only way for a person to communicate at all.

"You can come outside. You can come and hunt and you can enjoy the fresh air. You can come on the roof with me, where no humans can see us and you can feel the warmth of the sun. You can create something out of nothing. You can turn every place that enter into your own personal paradise." I ramble on and on, for what seems to be hours on end, and gradually, I feel her come out of her shell.

By the time Alec came back from dealing with her attacker, he would be pleased at the progress she has made, and soon, I would have her right back to the smart-ass child I met a month ago.

All for his sake.

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